The Banana Artwork Has Been Eaten By a Performing Artist

By
Mika R
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Maurizio Cattelan's "Comedian" presented by Perrotin Gallery and on view at Art Basel Miami. Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images

The infamous banana art, which was sold for $120,000 last week and has been named “a symbol of global trade” has been eaten. The banana, which was duct-taped to a wall was called “Comedian,” by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, and it was shown at the international gallery Perrotin at Art Basel in Miami. So how did the banana finally meet its demise?

Performance artists David Datuna ate it because, well he was hungry. Just earlier this week, gallery founder Emmanuel Perrotin said that “Maurizio’s work is not just about objects, but about how objects move through the world,” which couldn’t have held closer to the truth.

The buyer can’t be too upset because the banana was going to rot at some point and the artwork comes with a certificate of authenticity in which the owners can replace the banana.

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Breaking news! So this Art Basel Miami visitor just ate Maurizio Cattelans $120,000 banana. It quickly got very messy around Perrotin’s booth. Update (official letter from Perrotin gallery): ”The artist Maurizio Cattelan and Perrotin gallery regret to inform you that Comedian will be removed from our Art Basel Miami Beach booth for the last day of the fair, Sunday, December 8th. This morning, following recommendations, we removed the installation at 9am. We want to thank the organizers of the fair for their help and continued support. Art Basel collaboratively worked with us to station guards and create uniform lines. However, the installation caused several uncontrollable crowd movements and the placement of the work on our booth compromised the safety of the artwork around us, including that of our neighbors. Comedian, with its simple composition, ultimately offered a complex reflection of ourselves. We would like to warmly thank all those who participated in this memorable adventure, as well as to our colleagues. We sincerely apologize to all the visitors of the fair who today will not be able to participate in Comedian..” ##mauriziocattelan #bananaart #artbaselmiamibeach2019 #perrotingallery #artcollector #breakingartnews #artnews #newsflash #l_contemporary

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Lucien Terras, a director at the gallery, told the Miami Herald that “[Datuna] did not destroy the artwork. The banana is the idea.” The banana was replaced with a new one just moments after Datuna ate it.

Cattelan, who’s known for his comic pieces including an 18-carat gold toilet and duct-taping Italian gallerist Massimo De Carlo to a wall at his gallery, bought the banana at a local market.